Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 177)

Google’s HeAR model sifts through over 300 million, two seconds snippets of audio to search for signs of respiratory harm.
AI

AI can spot tuberculosis early by listening to your cough

The AI model was trained on 300 million coughs, sniffles, and sneezes.

Timelapse image of springtail jumping backwards
Insects

Watch the world’s fastest backflipping bug

The globular springtail rotates as much as 368 times per second.

a huge swarm of thousands of mosquitoes
Insects

Mosquitoes can barely see–but a male’s vision perks up when they hear a female

A ‘mosquito flight simulator’ reveals a potential weakness in one species that carries malaria.

Various artifacts recovered from Temple of Buto
Archaeology

Egyptologists uncover 2,500 year-old observatory full of precise tools

The Temple of Buto's astronomical facility tracked the sun for religious, political, and agricultural events.

The best Labor Day Deals on a plain white background.
Home

90+ of the best Labor Day deals from Apple, Sony, and more

We've rounded up the deals that are actually worth your time and money.

hypercar in a dark room
Vehicles

The coolest technology in the Bugatti Tourbillon hypercar is… analog?

Engineers tapped Swiss watchmakers to help make the Tourbillon unlike any of its predecessors.

hands reaching out to tickle you
Ask Us Anything

Why are we ticklish? The science of the silly response.

The science of tickling is full of mysteries, but there are some playful theories.

Yukon river Alaska
Pollution

Thawing Alaskan permafrost is unleashing more mercury, confirming scientists’ worst fears

'It has that sense of a bomb that's going to go off.'

birds have culture
Birds

Birds have ‘culture.’ Just look at these nests.

Avian architectural choices may be impacted by more than just genes and the environment.

an orange starfish with four arms of similar size and one shorter arm sits on some rocks
Wildlife

How starfish lose limbs (on purpose) and survive

A neurohormone similar to one present in humans could help starfish regrow limbs.

zeppelin first flight airship
Aviation

1929: The Graf Zeppelin becomes the first ship to sail around the world—by air

'Yes, sir, that is my baby!'

Elephants in Okambara, Namibia that have been tagged with transmitters to track their movements.
Animals

The ‘internet of animals’ could transform what we know about wildlife

Scientists studying migrations, endangered species, and global change are placing tracking devices on thousands of animals that will be monitored by a satellite-based system set to launch next year. If successful, the project could help illuminate the planet’s nonhuman worlds.

an illustration of a crocodile biting an ancient seacow with a shark lurking behind it
Biology

Crocodile attacks sea cow. Tiger Shark picks apart sea cow.

A farmer led paleontologists to the scene of this prehistoric creature feature.

The Green Bank Observatory contains eight dishes that detect radiation from objects in space in the form of radio waves.
Deep Space

Why the ‘Wow!’ signal is probably not from aliens after all

But we may have 'the most compelling hypothesis' so far.

a mosquito biting human skin
Diseases

After EEE death in New Hampshire, here’s what to know about the mosquito-borne virus

Bite prevention methods include wearing insect repellant, long-sleeved clothing, and more.

Skyline Robotics robot window washing skyscrapers
Robots

The skyscraper window-washing robots are here

Skyline Robotics claims its autonomous robot Ozmo can clean windows three times faster than humans alone.

lego figures on a hard drive
Tech Hacks

How to spot when your hard drive will fail before it does

If you're prepared for a hard drive failure, you can keep your data safe.

Legend of the linguistic experiment by Psamtik I.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

The ‘forbidden experiment’ is an infamously evil chapter in scientific history

Plus other weird things we learned this week.

a small white and red squid
Ocean

New images of deep sea wonders are surprisingly adorable

A very rare squid, the ‘Casper’ octopus, two ‘flying spaghetti monsters’, and more were also documented on this expedition.

An aerial view shows flooding in Merced, California following a “bomb cyclone” in January 2023.
Life Skills

Extreme weather 101: Your guide to staying prepared and informed

How to pack a go-bag, get emergency alerts, and find disaster aid.